1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a digital camera, and more particularly to a digital camera including a flash and a face detection function for reducing a red eye phenomenon.
2. Description of the Related Art
When human beings are in a dark place for a predetermined time, their pupils are in a state of dilation. At this time, flash photographing causes a red-eye phenomenon since a flash reflects off retinas. To avoid the red-eye phenomenon, a conventional camera's lens and flashing unit are separated from each other so that light reflected off the retinas is not photographed. However, since the lens and the flashing unit of compact cameras are not separated from each other due to the size of the compact cameras, many cameras emit light in advance in order to contract the pupils of subjects. In other instances, cameras may compensate for the red eye phenomenon by estimating a color of the eyes from a color around the pupils, or by using a color of eyes extracted from another image.
However, to reduce the red-eye phenomenon by emitting light of cameras in advance, a user must set an operation of flashing/no flashing/automatic flashing and designate an operation of red-eye reduction/no red-eye reduction, which may be a complex operation. Also, when human beings are photographed at a small size, the photographed image may be erroneously corrected at a different color.